Mexican Fideo
Submitted by jnutter14
Mexican fideo is the classic toasted-noodle soup-pasta: thin vermicelli coils browned in oil, then simmered in tomato sauce and water with onion and garlic. Comforting 30-minute Mexican kitchen staple.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
20 minREADY
30 minMexican fideo is the toasted-noodle soup that every Mexican abuela has made a thousand times. The dish starts with dry vermicelli coils browned in hot oil until they smell nutty and turn deep golden, the same toasted-noodle technique behind Spanish fideua and Greek kritharaki.
That toasting step is non-negotiable. It’s what gives fideo its signature deep amber color and nutty backbone. Skip it and you get pale, bland noodle soup instead of the cozy bowl you’re after.
After toasting, onion and garlic soften in the oil before tomato sauce and water turn the pan into a quick brothy sauce. Ten minutes of covered simmering and the noodles drink up everything.
Kitchen Tips
- Watch the noodles like a hawk while toasting. They go from golden to burnt in seconds, and burnt fideo is bitter.
- Break the noodle coils into smaller pieces before adding for easier eating and even cooking.
- Use Mexican tomato sauce (salsa de tomate) if you can find it. Regular American tomato sauce works but lacks the same depth.
- Serve with a wedge of lime and a sprinkle of crumbled queso fresco for the full home-kitchen treatment.
Variations
- Use chicken broth instead of water for a richer, more savory fideo.
- Add a chopped jalapeño or chipotle in adobo for a spicy version.
- Stir in cooked shredded chicken at the end for fideo con pollo, a hearty main dish.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat oil, add fideo and cook until lightly browned.
Add onion and cook until tender. Add garlic, tomato sauce and water and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Comments
I added some chopped tomatoes, browned ground beef (fat drained), and topped the finished fideo with grated queso fresco. Muy delicioso!
Wrong, very wrong
Mexican Fideo is just right. by this ingredients. If you put any thing else is your choice. Mexicans are very poor people and can't afford cheese. Cheese is only use in enchiladas. Also rice don't use cheese. I am sure yours is good tasting, but it isn't Mexican fideo.
I want to serve it as a side dish for my fajitas